Headlight



T. W. POST..

HEADLIGHT.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.15,19\1.

Patented July 18, 1922.

,77 @wom/LTO@ fum. a., Wwf. 33313 atto/142.134

-..-lllll vide a 'tilting reflector,

TRUMAN w. Pos1', oF NEW YORK, N. Y., AssrGNon To wILLYs CORPORATION, 0F

TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE.

HEADLIGHT.

masses.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 18, 1922.,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I. TRUMAN W. Pos'r, a

citizen of the United States, residing at the city of New York, in theborough of Manhattan and State of New York, have invented certain newand useful Improvements in Headlights, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to automobile headlights and more particularly t0a headlight in which the horizontal beam of light may be shifted so thatit lis inclined downwardly, thereby preventing the rays of lightstriking an approaching driver or pedestrian and causing the blindingglare, which so seriously impairs the vision.

One object of the invention is to provide a headlight of this character,in which the entire beam of light may 'be deflected from .simpleelectromagnetic.mechanism.

Another object of the invention is to prowhich is positively lockedagainst inadvertent movement or rattling when either in its horizontalor tilted position.

A further object of the invention is toprovide a head ight of thischaracter, in which the operating mechanism for tilting the reflectormay be initially adjusted after the casing or shell ofthe lamp has beenfixed 4to the vehicle to compensate for any inaccuracies in the angularposition .of the casing.

With these and other objects in view, which will be apparent from thedetailed description hereinafter to follow, the invention consists ofthe combinations and constructions which will be hereinafter described,and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a vertical section'through aheadlight constructed in'accordance with the principles of theinvention; and

Figure 2 is a detail of the electromagnetic operating mechanism. n

As is the usual construction, the headlight shown comprises a shell'orcasing 1, which is substantially conical in shape, having a cylindricalflange or ring 2, over the open end of which is mounted the lens or paneof reflector, instead of glass 3, the same being secured to a ring 4 byfastening means 5. This ring et is slipped over the end of thecylindrical llange 2 and may be held in position by friction or in anyother desired manner. The casing l is provided witli a box-likeextension 4, which holds the electromagnetic mechanism for 0perating thereflector. The structure so far described is adapted to be mounted uponythe vehicle by the usual supporting brackets, not shown, so that thecasing has no relative movement with respect to the vehicle.

Mounted within the casing 1 is a reflector 6, which reflector can be ofany desired contour, but in practice the usual type of parabolicreflector is used. This reflector has secured to. it adjacent its outeredge a stiff'- ening ring 7, which carries trunnion pins 8 whichpivotally mount the reflector within a ring 9. The ring 9 is of slightlyless diameter than the ring 2 and lits within the ring 2, so that thefriction between them will hold the ring 9 against inadvertent movement.An electriclamp l1 is mounted in a socket 12 carried by and projectingthrough the narrow end of the reflector. Preferably,

this lamp is positioned so that its filament or point of brightestillumination coincides with the focal point of the parabolic relectorv6.

The normal position of the reflector 6 is Shown in full lines in Figurel, in which position the rays of light from the lamp and reflector areldirected in a generally horizontal direction, as is the usual practicewitli automobile headlights. The reflector, however, due to its pivotalmounting, is adapted to be thrown into its dotted line position, alsoshown iii this view, in which the beam of light from the lamp and beingdirected in a generally horizontal ldirection is projected downwardly.ait such an angle that it will strike the road in front of the car at adistance' of' about 30 feet from the car. This Adeflection of the beamof light is sullicient glare of the headlights ot an approaching carwill not be so apt to blind him.

To tilt the reflector from the full to the dotted line position theelectromagnetic mechanism which will now be described, is utilized. Thismechanism comprises two solenoids 2O and 21, which are mounted. upon albase plate 22. The solenoid 21 has a core Q3 which is pivotallyconnected to a link 25. This link 25 is in turn pivotally connected to alink 26. A link 27, which is secured to the rim of the reflector,4 ispivoted at the other end to the link 26. As will be clear from Figure 1,the intermediate link 26 is disposed at practically right angles to thelinks Q5 and QT, and therefore when the solenoid is energized toretractthe core '23, this link 26 will have a limited angular movement.This angular movement ofthe link :2G is utilized to release the lockingdevice. as will now be described. To prevent the reflector from shakingor rattling so as to cause a vibratory beam of light to be thrown uponthe road. a spring 29 is fastened to the base plate 2Q, which spring isprovided with a hole or slot 30 therein. A pin 3l carried by the link 27is adapted to Ht into the slot 30 when the reflector is in itshorizontal or full line position. the pin and spring constituting alocking device which securely holds the reflector against movement. Torelease the reflector from the lock the link Q6 is provided with a heelwhich rests upon thc spring '29 in the normal or unretracted position ofthe core 23. as shown in full lines in Figure l. lVhen the core isenergized this heel engages and presses the spring29 downwardly, whichwill carry the spring away -from the pin 3l. so that the. link 27, andhence the reflector` will be free to move rearwardly with the core 23.

The core 23 also carries a stop pin 3l. which engages the frontend ofthe solenoid to limit the throw of the core Q3. This pin is so arrangedthat when it abuts against the solenoid the reflector has been tiltedthe required amount to cause the desired deflection of the beam oflight. A locking device is also provided t'or holding the core 23 in itsretracted position. so that the solenoid need not remain energized. Thislocking device consists of a pivoted lat-ch mounted upon the baselplateQQ, the free end of which is adapted to engage in a notch 36 formed inthe under face of the core Q3. A small spring 37 exerts a pressure uponthe latch 35 to maintain it against the bottom of the core Q3, so thatwhen the core is retracted and the stop pin 3l engages with the,solenoid the free end of the latch will be forced into the notch 3G andthe reflector will be held in its downwardly inclined position until thehitch 35 has been moved to release the core. The stop pin 3st and latch35 also (zo-operate to hold the reflector from rattling or from having aslight vibratory movement when the car is in motion.

The releasing of the latch 35 is accomplished by electromagiutic means.including the solenoid 20, which is provided with a core 3S which isnormally thrown outwardly by a spring 3S). To the free end ol' this coreis pivoted a swinging bar to. the bar being pivoted at its other end toa bracket or snpport l1 carried by the base plate 22. This bar extendstransversely across the latch 35 which, as appears in Figure l. isinclined upwardly. ll'hen. therefore. the solenoid 20- is energized andthe bar l() swung rearwardly. the bar will engage the pivoted latch 255and press it downwardly until the latch is free ot' the notch 3G, whichwill permit the reflector to resume its horizontal position under theforce of gravity. It it is desired to return the reflector to its normalposition positively, a spring may be utilized as shown for example at42. As theretlector returns to its normal or horizontal position thestop pin or set screw 3l will engage the upturned edge 29 formed uponthe spring latch 29. This will prevent further outward movement oi` thereflector and the set screw or pin 3l will then engage in the slot 30and lock the reflector in position.

Any desired circuit arrangement can be used for energizing the solenoids20 or 21, and in Figure 2 a conventional circuit arrangement tor thispurpose is shown, consistinfr of a battery 50 and two parallel circuitsoland 52, which circuits are opened and closed by switches 53 and 54,respectively.

It should be noted that the base plate .12 carries all "of the movableparts ot' the electromagnetic operating mechanism and this plate isslidably mounted in the extension 4t of the shell or casing l. Thelateral position of the operating mechanism may therefore be adjusted,after which the base plate. is locked to the casing by means oi a thumbnut 55., which is threaded on the end ot the screw 5G carried by thebase plate, which screw passes through a slot 5T in the wall oftheextension Il ol the casing. The purpose ot this construction is topermit an initial adjustment of the reflector as it is evident that ifthe casing l. is not correctly mounted upon the automobile ot thevehicle, the reflector 6 will not. assume a horizontal position.However, b v moving the base plate 2Q, which carries the operatingmechanism, backward or forward the angular )osition of the reflector Gwithin the casing may be adjusted to a nicety, after which the operatingmechanism locked by means of the thumb nut 55.

I claim l. A headlight comprising a casing, a

pivotally mounted reilector therein, operating mechanism for ti ltingsaid reflector, said operating mechanism .being bodily movable in saidcasing to initially adjust the angular position of said reflector.

2. A headlight comprising a casino', a pivotally mounted reflectortherein, ating mechanism for tilting support upon which said mechanismis mounted, said support being movably mounted in said casing, and meansfor locking said support in said casing in any one of a lurality ofdifferent positions.

3. lil 'a headlight, the combination of a casing, a pivotally mountedreflector therein, operating mechanism for tilting said reflector, saidoperating mechanism being bodily adjustable in said casing to vary theangular position of said reflector.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination of a casing,vreflector mounted to tilt therein, means determining the norsaidreflector, a

opermal and tilted limiting positions of said re- Hector, a singleadjustable means for varying both of' said positions and means effectiveWhenever operated t-o move said reflec tor to either of said positionsin a single movement.

5. In a headlight, the combination'of a casing, a reflector pivotallymounted therein, means for locking said reflector in its normal uprightposition, an electro-magnet for releasing said locking means and movingsaid reflector to a tilted position, means for locking said reflector inits tilted position, an electro-magnet for releasing said second lockingmeans to permit said reflector to return to its upright position, andmeans for bodily adjusting said locking means relative to said easingfor varying the upright and tilted positions of said reflector.

In Witness whereof, I subscribe my signature.

TRUMAN W. POST.

